Loup-Garou
by tamarindblue
Summary: On one side there was a red princess, on the other there is a blue queen. And a wolf lurked behind the castle walls, waiting to get out, waiting to get in ... Only he didn't know what he would do once he got there. He is the wolf and she is riding hood, only her cape is blue.
1. Ailment of the queen

_**The ailment of the queen**_

 _Something about him crept her to the core._  
 _Elsa knows she is the last person to approach, tackle or remotely mention creepiness in any shape or form but she couldn't help but .. feel it._  
 _There is a tinge of madness in his green iris, the rims of a red moon in the vast forests of green and she doesn't feel good about it._  
 _Hans Westerguard, the 13th prince of the Southern isles, had something about him that didn't feel quite right, that made her chill to the bone, ice threatening to spill out of her fingertips._

 _Anna doesn't see it .. wouldn't see it until it is too late but Elsa, she did._

 _Elsa was unfortunately right_.

* * *

Anna paced around the room, as the doctor examined Elsa. The common colds, they have become common occurrences since the coronation, each cold more hostile than the precedent, each cold more feverish .. each cold, an icy outburst from the magic Elsa can no longer contain.  
This cold however, came with a new symptom, a mark between her neck and shoulder blades, blazing red.  
"Your highness" he curtsied

"Head doctor"  
"I am afraid the queen is not in good health"  
"I can see that doctor" Anna almost snapped against her will, but she was in no mood for politeness or phoney pretences, Anna needed answers, she needed to know what was happening to Elsa.  
"I can find no organic cause, no ailment that I knew or studied that would cause those symptoms, I am sorry, your grace" he casted his eyes to the ground

"You are dismissed, doctor"

"I have never seen you quite like this" Kristoff said as he straightened his back against the pillar he was leaning on. He stood farthest in the room, hiding behind the pillar.  
"What do you mean by this?"  
"I mean serious, frantic even'  
It was moments like this one that brought out the stark difference between Anna, his Anna and Princess Anastasia of Arendelle, moments that drew multiple lines between them, not rifts maybe but lines that were there, only hidden behind the drapes of love.  
"I .." she swallowed hard on her words "I don't know what to do"  
"I already told you, let's take her to the trolls"  
"The trolls' methods may be unsuitable ... archaic"  
"Anna, your father took both of you to the trolls when you were injured, the trolls helped you when you were searching for Elsa. They might know something, especially since the doctor doesn't"  
She lowered her head in resignation, unbeknownst to Kristoff, it was Elsa's wish not to go to the trolls, partially due to fear but Anna's back was against a concrete solid wall, it was dead-end. She had to take her there.  
"Kristoff, prepare Sven and the sledge, we have no other choice"

* * *

 _She is in a whirlwind of hunter green and red, blood red ... rage._  
 _Elsa is running , she is running fast, forging her way across the red land, a trail of blue blazing behind her .. ice, ice across a barren land._  
 _howls and howls, there is a blizzard and a shadow...there is a sword at her back._  
 _'Queen Elsa'_

She flinches, Anna notices as she sneaks Elsa out.  
"Everything will be alright Elsa, I promise"

* * *

"It is magic against magic, Anna"  
"What do you mean, grand pabbie?"

"Her magic clashed with another magic or worst a curse"  
'How? Elsa never met another magical person, she would have told me"  
"When did it all start?"  
"After coronation I think, I don't know what used to happen before but ..."  
"We will have to wait until her fever subsides and she can talk, Bulda is working on a potion for that"

* * *

His arms were chained to a wall, his legs were tied together, tonight was one of those nights, tonight was his birthday, tonight he would be born again as per month.  
 _'Mother moon, harbinger of pain, be merciful tonight'_ he pleaded.


	2. A restless long night

_**A restless long night**_

There is fire coursing through his veins. Hans Westergard, 13th son, born on the 25th of December is changing. His irises, more green, more red on the inside, his mind more muddled, more hazy.

He could feel his heart thumbing through his ears. He could feel every inch of bone inside of him aching.

His heavy footing gets lighter and lighter ...

He is running, ripping through the forests

' _Cause pain is like fire and wild-lings are scared of fire'_

* * *

She tosses and turns in her sheets, the trolls, Anna and Kristoff observe as she mumbles and perspires.

She wanders through dark halls, that leads to a single tall mahogany door, left slightly ajar, it is cold out there but not as cold as she is used to. Through the slit, Elsa sees a crib in the room and a single hooded figure she can not recognise

' _I Curse you to eternity ...'_

The rest of the scene, it doesn't play out for her, instead it shifts back and forth between a forest where a wolf ravishes a young woman and a familiar setting, the mountains at home.

The hooded presence is roaming the mountains yet something or maybe someone else appears, they stand deadlocked in a stretching pause that isnot so silent for the keen eyes before the hooded figure chants an incantation Elsa doesnot understand

 _'Is she summoning something?_ ' Elsa guesses before everything drops to ice cold, this Elsa knows and understands. However, the other person morphs into a wolf barring its teeth

"You fight me in your true skin, how befitting"

The wolf only growls like it is cursing her and cursing its own luck, yet its eyes soften, only for the slightest bit .. like it is pleading for something.

But before they clash in a gruesome fight, everything fades to blue ... to green

And Elsa finally wakes up.

* * *

The night wears the wolf off.

Hans could barely open his eyes the next day, he is covered in mire, filth and blood that he doesn't know whose owner is. His body aches and he has near to no clothes left to look decent but he knows that soon enough a royal guard patrol, led by one of his brothers will find him and drag him off to the deserted place where he will be locked up until ... next full moon.

* * *

Grand Pabbie gives her time to recuperate before sitting her down to talk

"Shall we speak now, young Queen?"

Elsa averts her eyes in slight disgrace, she should have contacted the trolls since the symptoms started and they have been nothing less than kind to her, but she remembers she is queen and queens are courageous as not to avert their eyes, so she looks up to him and answers to him

"It started after the coronation, this time was the worst"

"Always so perceptive as to answer before the question is even asked"

"Do you think you can recognise any reason for those unpleasant occurrences?"

"Nothing I could think of"

"Can you tell me what do you see in your nightly terrors?"

Whatever Elsa tells him perplexes the troll, a furrow appears between its unnatural eyes ... and he looks at her with concern and unease

"You realise that you might have been cursed"

"I am already cursed"

"I thought we already established your snow powers were not a curse, what I speak of is a real dangerous curse. You might have been linked to another magical creature, your magic might have clashed with his magic or curse or whatever and so all this mishap started"

Grand Pabbie further explained "We need to find this creature and undo whatever link forged between the both of you as it is unpredictable as well as dangerous for what might happen to the both of you. Elsa, Can you think of someone beside your esteemed cousin whom you might have encountered that has magical powers? "

Elsa nods her head in negation, or rather denial. Something inside of her knows fully well who the person might be but it is refusing to acknowledge it.

Grand Pabbie repeats his question, sensing a bit of hesitance emanating from the queen. The old troll can feel a sensitivity that the queen wants to escape.

And this shortlists the set of people for him.

' _Could it be Weselton or worst ...?'_

So he resolves he will have to figure this creature out on his own, before telling the Queen whom the wanted was.

And the next day, Grand Pabbie confirms the queen's unvoiced doubt.

"Your Majesty, you will have to contact the southern isles as soon as possible"


	3. The storms that brew South

**The storms that brew South**

There is a haunting song that plays in his mind all the time, but becomes pronounced usually after he transforms back to human form.

Well he might be a monster but as everybody begrudgingly admit, he is a monster of fine taste.

He had played it numerous times, so many times only to tease the music master who frantically demanded where he learnt this song and forbade him from ever playing the song again.

 _'It is associated with a curse'_

And Hans wondered how could such a beautiful song be associated with such a vile thing as a curse.

However, recently Hans has started to dream this song, he dreams the song, he watches shadows dancing to the song, a shadow of a wolf circling to the rhythms with a woman he doesn't quite recognise, her face always obscured. The song covers up the din they make while they lead each other in to territories only they would chart together.

But eventually, the song ceases and a familial dread sets in before he wakes up to a scream

 _'Alperen'_

* * *

 _'You would have made such a fine king, so intelligent, so resourceful and brave'_ he remembers his father telling him. He was their father's favourite son despite his curse ... he always doubted his father was extra mindful with him due to this and his mother's demise _'But you are rash, impatient and daresay emotional however much you try to hide it behind your nonchalance'_

The young Hans would swell after such flattery and he would remain days afterwards training and studying to please his King, his dad who appreciated him so much, never thinking about the last words, never thinking one day his father would be nothing but a usurped king, a king in name and only name.

 _'I was close, I was so close dear King'_

* * *

"Welcome back, dear brother" It is a tight line uttered as common courtesy by one of his brothers, no more or less.

He doesn't do common courtesy.

"The King prays you are well"

"Send him the most gracious thanks on my behalf"

A blatant lie.

"He wants to see you"

He couldn't hide his surprise , Hans knew he wasn't particularly the king's favourite brother

This king, his eldest brother who usurped the throne, didn't like him particularly, he was too close to the abdicating king who now lives abandoned under house arrest, never to be seen except on occasion, the flimsy thread that is holding the kingdom together.

"Of course, so I will be permitted to visit the capital"

"Very soon in fact"

His brother carried on speaking "Our father is also concerned about your well being, Visit him, soon"

The last time he saw his father was after the Arendellian affair, one of the few times when his father overtly admonished him.

 _"What have you done, Hans?" his father took him by the shoulders, shaking him as if this would knock some common sense in him_

 _"I was close .. close to avenging you, so close to ending this terror" He shouted_

 _"Lower your voice, Hans"_

 _"And why should I, father? Why should I lower my voice? Why should I live in fear ..? Why do I have to my entire life?"_

 _The man looked sympathetic, apologetic even before answering_

 _"Because, there are eyes everywhere, ears at every corner and arms that could crush you and you can never trust a thing, anything"_

 _"And because I can no longer protect you, any of you Hans, from your brother's Madness"_

* * *

'The Sorceress is ill'

Queen Elsa stares disgustingly at the caricature on her desk .. apparently repercussions of her winter coronation wouldn't die out any time soon, in fact she is beginning to suspect they wouldn't at all.

The counsellors she has aren't of any help, barely trustworthy, that she knows. They regard her as incompetent and weak. She only ever trusts Kai and he is too old to handle politics and Sir Andersen, an advisor appointed by her father just before his ... his departure. Son of a loyal friend of her father's and an accomplished politician himself, Andersen was indispensable to Elsa.

Returning after the disastrous coronation, he managed to help her maintain a semblance of order and to establish a tentative trust with her subjects

 _'Who apparently aren't still happy with her'_

Another thing that annoyed her was how news of her illness have been leaked at such sensitive time.

 _'As if my wavering reign needs more wavering'_

Yet the One thing that vexed her most was how she would bring the wretched prince Hans back to Arendelle. She spoke with Andersen about that and he vehemently adviced against it however she insisted on it, something that confused him and saddened her for she couldnot disclose her reasons to him, to anybody .. Kristoff knowing was collateral and much uncalled for and she wouldn't drag her counsellor and friend into her mess

 _"But your highness, we narrowly avoided Political scandal, having him here .."_

 _"Would further cement the deceitful story about how he was trying to protect us .."_

 _"Would be unsafe and I don't want you to get hurt"_

 _"Andersen I understand what you are saying and full appreciate what you are trying to do but you have to trust me on this one"_

 _"What are you trying to do Elsa? What is it you aren't telling me?"_

 _At this she halted, how could she tell him that his Queen is cursed?! How can she tell him Hans is the reason of her bouts of illness?_

 _So she halted and smiled ..._

 _"Just do it" she stared him in the eyes "For me"_

 _he held her gaze, smiling back softly at her._

 _'I will do it for ... you then"_

* * *

He stood in the presence of the king or rather under his scrutiny, waiting for him to initiate speech

"Welcome, brother"

"Your highness" he tried to sound normal, serious perhaps yet his voice betrayed him, a menacing mocking trill escaped his larynx, causing his accompanying brother to frantically back off for a second, fearing the eldest outbreak.

"Do you know Hans why am I keeping you alive up to this moment?"

"Well, of course you haven't summoned me here to ask that, have you?" In the pit of his gut, Hans was beginning to panic, could it be that his brother has finally decided to end him? Not that he would regret it, he simply wasn't prepared.

"Because ... your madness will be the end of you"

he circled Hans whose eyes never failed to trail him

"Or perhaps you will perish on one of your forest excursions, mauled by an animal similar to you"

That was decidedly a low blow

"What do you want me for?"

"Arendelle, you will be sent as a representative to Arendelle, an ambassador of sorts"

"Me .. Arendelle .. For god's Sake" Hans couldn't control his laughter "It is too bold for you"

 _'Quiet a hitback' he thought 'Only if he was too bright to understand the hidden words'_

"They request your presence and I shall gladly ship you off to them, you will leave in 3 days" he stared icily at him

"Now be dismissed"

"Your highness" he tried to sound respectful this time and luckily he managed to roughly "I would like to see him before I go"

His brother mused for mere seconds before nodding his approval "Tomorrow you will be permitted to visit him for an hour, now be gone before I change my mind"

Hans darted out of the room, being so near to his brother irritated him, angered him something ; that would make his transformations more brutal, more violent thereafter.

However he was perplexed as why would they want him in Arendelle, he wasn't the most welcome person there, in fact he narrowly avoided persecution through the political pressure exerted and the exploitation of Arendelle's weak spot, the queen's little flaw

 _'Only if they knew'_

At least his brother had the slightest decency left to let him visit his father before he leaves.

* * *

"So, You are going back to Arendelle again"

"Yes" he answered with resolve

 _'Why did you do it? Why did you try to murder the poor girl?'_

 _"Can't you see? Can't you see the merit in this? Expanded territory? A chance to get you back to the throne? Can't you see they are the reason for our misery? For your own misery?"_

 _"Hans, it wasn't their fault. You know they are ignorant about what happened?"_

 _"Sins of the father, then"_

 _"I thought you should know better, my precious boy"_

He eyed his father longly, marvelling at how he seemed to have aged in this gilded prison.

"They don't want you for perscution or anything"

"No, that has been taken care of, apparently he doesn't want to implicate himself in such political turmoils so he did his best to castigate me although he lamented how a miserable idiot I am who couldn't just die a quick clean death and spare him the trouble"

"Just be mindful this time and stay safe, Hans"

"I will try my best your highness"


	4. The Weight of a second Reprise

**The weight of a Second Reprise**

Hans has always loved water, contrary to what most believe, that is why he joined the navy first place.

Water is cleanliness and he likes clean even if he has to taint it.

' _Anything other than clean burdens the soul'_ and he knows best about this for he was a man born in a filthy world , having to play by its dirty rules and it never does easy to one's soul.

He will arrive to Arendelle soon enough and he'd better brace himself to what might occur once he is there.

Dignitaries from the Isle's embassy will meet him at the dock, that was naturally expected...

However, Will Arendellian officiala be waiting? He wasn't precisely sure.

* * *

The walls were closing in on him.

Once he arrived, Hans could smell the stench of watchmen everywhere inside the embassy, he was practically being watched everywhere so unsubtly that he marvelled how those dimwits were basically hired and how easily they are distracted.

It was getting on his nerves, both the personnel, his brother's pick of spies and the anticipation of whatever the Arendellian court wants with him.

He was thankful that at least one of them would be alleviated soon for he received an invitation for a meeting with the queen three days after.

* * *

Everything weighed heavily on Elsa but meeting Hans of the southern isles again weighed the most.

Sometimes she thinks, it would be easier to abdicate to Anna just like what happened in the Southern isles, after all Anna was much more celebrated and accepted by the people of Arendelle than she ever was and Anna was essentially Normal with no ice powers, no nightmares to plague her nights and no curses looming by.

But part of her doesn't want to fail, part of her thinks Anna, while starting to mature enough, still needs time to hone her political skill in addition to the fact that her relationship with Kristoff which the entire branch members of the royal family and the nobility disapproves of (muttering about 'pulling a Corona' under their breaths) might hurt her claim to the throne.

But How and what shall she say to her assailant now? She doesn't know and she can't ask for help.

* * *

"You don't have to see him, you know" Kristoff casually started

Anna stopped pacing, raising her head to look questionably at him before rolling off her sentence in unintelligible speed

"ItoldyouIamnotnervousnoramIagitatedbecauseoftheasshole'svisit"

Kristoff couldn't help but smile warmly at the fidgeting Anna

"You know you are the worst liar in the world, right?"

At that she looked incriminated ... just a little

"and that you are totally stubborn ... in addition to being slightly neurotic, But I love you this way, none the less. This is the Anna I knew"

The later year, Anna has been changing, drifting little by little from her old self; the burden of the kingdom, her sister's ailment and the responsibility altogether.

She was becoming more of a monarch: Harsher, More resolute and more calculating than the simple carefree Anna from years ago and somehow, it irritated Kristoff, that change.

He felt she was drifting away from him as well .. a man of no status, no royal title, no political advantage.

And she felt that, she felt it for so long yet any attempt made at assuring Kristoff of herself, of themselves seemed to have the opposite effect of irritating him even more.

"I am only like that when you are with me" she smiled

"You mean I am a source of annoyance for you .. oh thank you very much"

"Always such a gruff"

He feigned such a mock hurt look on his face, putting as much puppy eyes in the process as possible investing more and more into the act, making sure Anna is buying more and more into it as well.

"But seriously Kristoff, you are the only one I can like this around cause I trust you, I trust you so much and I ... really think you are the most brilliant and the kindest person I have ever met in a very long time"

Anna never says "I love you", not since the last time it nearly cost her everything she ever had, not since she realised how devastating the repercussions of such word can be and Kristoff never asks her to.

Kristoff doesn't want to shackle her with such words either, he has long resigned that he is with Anna on borrowed time and that it is bound to end somehow.

After all, how many stories of princesses and ice harvesters have thrived.

He is just determined to be near for as long as fate would allow for he has grown fond of the feisty princess, he has most unfortunately fallen in love and the weight of it is bringing him down onto his knees.

"Does it annoy you, me seeing him again?"

Part of him was truly pestered, jealous even. The other part was scared; for this prince Hans was dangerous, manipulative and capable of deceiving and hurting almost anyone without an ounce of remorse

and the look on his face Betrayed all that.

"Don't worry, Andersen will receive him with me"

Another source of immense discomfort for him at the castle. The man was simply overbearing, always throwing snide remarks about Kristoff's commoner upbringing to his face, not to mention a potential, more convenient rival to him .. though he seemed far more interested in Elsa than Anna.

Something in Kristoff's gut genuinely twisted at the mention of his name, he simply detested him and felt wary of him, yet right now wasn't the time to bring it up. The man was skilled enough to hold everything together and help Elsa not to mention they would need to stick together in the face of the venomous snake that Elsa brought back to the Kingdom.

"I am worried about you and the queen, of course. But I have no say in this. She wanted him for dire business and grand Pabbie seemed quite at ease with the idea of Hans returning, not that any of them mentioned why but I have to trust them both and I trust you as well,so do what you find fitting"

* * *

He exited his carriage in heavy footing, neither a tremble nor any hesitation evident in his moves, Hans wasn't here to apologise or make amends.

"Welcome, your Grace. I am Sir Andersen, counsellor to Queen Elsa of Arendelle. May I escort you to the throne room" The advisor said in tight smile.

Hans eyed the counsellor, a man of average height and build, quite young with steel blue eyes and dark hair, overall a good-looking fellow

' _How an idiot she is to keep him this blatantly near, has nobody told her that this could feed the rumour fodder for months?'_ he thought as he tallied yet another pitfall for the inexperienced young queen.

"Enchanted" he huffed nonchalantly.

"Well, you have made quite an impression during your last visit, your grace"

Hans smiled realising very well the poorly hidden meaning behind the man's statement

"Of course, we are a very compelling Dynasty, however I don't recall seeing you around, counsellor"

"I was out of the country at the time, on a diplomatic delegation. I couldn't make it in time to the coronation. How unfortunate, things might have turned out very differently, had I been here"

"Unfortunate Indeed"

"However, I am here today. And I hope that i stand a strong wall between Arendelle, its queen and whomever intending any harm to befall both"

"Such a loyal watchman, you are sir" Hans laughed out

"And an honour it is for me, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles' Andersen Deadpanned

* * *

The Hans who entered the throne room was worlds different from the one they met before at the coronation. This Hans was the real Hans, cold and impassive, with only a calculated thin smile on his face. His eyes as stony and as green as Jade, no warmth or emotions evident in them. This Hans walked in proud steps as a ruthless King would do, looking everyone straight in the eye with dare and audacity only a monster can possess.

 _'This façade I am so familiar with, this is the calm before a bloody storm'_ Elsa internally mused. She knew all too well what lies beneath this face, how much bottled emotions and in Hans Westergard's case, it is basically wrath or any other terrible thing and at the moment she lamented calling him back to Arendelle, the vicious enemy whom they miraculously escaped.

' _I have no other choice'_

Anna couldn't hide her disgust and overtly sneered once he entered the room.

He looked and her and smiled such an innocent sweet smile that only managed to infuriate her even more while all through his eyes were singing _'Haven't you learned to be a proper princess yet?'_

Elsa, however, didn't seem to budge. Something he fairly admired about the queen ... such an ability to reign herself in and carry herself with poise even while being terrified inside as he knows she is.

After the official reception was over and all the councellor members and diplomatic personnel were dismissed. It was time for the dear Guest to speak privately to the Queen much to Anna's obvious chagrin.

And once everybody exited, the room's temperature dropped several degrees.


	5. A matter of Pure Spite

**A matter of pure spite**

He could feel the cold seeping through his bone, setting in its particles and melting him as she stared at him, intensely, longly as if she was assessing him, seeing what he is made of

' _Blood, I am made of blood, magic and wilderness, I am made of wile, treachery and all the things that turn a man into a monster'_

He cocked his eyebrows, twisting his mouth into a suggestive smile that failed to bait her, not even for a bit so he settled for staring back at her, trying to read her like he did the other time.

Yet this time, he couldn't.

Elsa looked... this man in front of her, to any untrained eye would make a perfect gentle man, and she wondered if he possessed any ounce of gentility, of kindness in him, any measure to make him redeemable.

It would be long before Elsa decides to cautiously start speaking

" I assume you realise why you have been summoned to Arendelle"

"I assure you I haven't got the slightest idea"

Elsa eyed him suspiciously, trying to decipher his thoughts, his intention.

And while he looked genuinely honest, she knew better than to believe him.

She tried to sense magic, any magic emanating out of him yet she couldn't feel any.

' _Maybe he controls heat, fire'_ No, that would be unlikely for he could have simply counteracted her winter outbreak. ' _Could it be that grand pabbie was wrong?'_

"Your majesty" he chimed in, disrupting her thoughts "What is it that you summoned me for?" he cut right straight to the point

"Prince Hans, Do you happen to possess any magical affinity?"

"No" he doesn't think when he utters the answer in a brief explosive manner as his mind conjures hundreds of schemes, of political ploys and plans to bend him and his kingdom to their will using his curse as leverage.

He could tell tables turned and that she , mistress of denial, could practically look into his soul. He is vulnerable although he looks nothing like it and something in her gaze shifts, it isnot aloofness or desdain. It is recognition and pity even.

"Prince Hans, I think there is something you need to see" she decides to take her chances, against every speckle of logic, of common sense. What more could happen after all, what she knows she could die of this curse, her magic could unleash ... Out of control, out of everybody's control.

She removes her gloves, her hand is an unnatural shade of blue ... The patch on her neck has expanded to include her entire arm, turning from violet to a pale blue

"What is this?" he calmly inquires.

"This is a curse, one that generates when magic clashes against magic. This is all the information we could conclude and thus ..."

"You imply your magic clashed with some magic of mine" his tone is filled with ridicule, with gloat. The cold intensifies, she regrets telling him, he thinks.

 _'And indeed she should'_ the dark voice in his mind tells him.

"Yes, I suspect that the culprit is you, specially since our last remarkable encounter" she tries to sound firm, though a mere quiver that escapes her throat.

"Well, I assure you I know nothing of what you speak"

"Maybe, if we visit a friend, a healer of mine .. Maybe he can reassur.."

"You can take my word for it , your majesty"

He stresses on the last syllabus too much ... a warning she thinks ...

"If you will excuse me, I have business to attend to at the embassy"

Hans turns on his heals, his back facing her as he strides towards the exit ... It is a mere footsteps to the door when she finally says

"I didn't grant you permission to leave"

Her voice is icy and sharp, like the shards of a broken glacier

"You will detain me then, risk political fallout and scandal, how befitting of an ice queen"

"We have shown you nothing but acceptance and clemency in Arendelle, values I doubt you have ever been met with in any other place, why are you so hellbent on destroying Arendelle?"

' _Why are you so hellbent on breaking me?'_

He turns around and glances at her.

At a distance stands a young woman, beautiful and dependable, a sister and daughter who happens to be queen.

She is hurt, in pain and hanging on a single thread tied to his hand.

Her fear betrays her, peering through her glassy blue eyes and the occasional quivers and breaks in her voice and god, he has something for Queen Elsa, for her grace yet ...

He can't find it in himself to help her.

" It is a matter of pure spite"

 _'It is a vengeance, my queen_ '

She doesn't ask twice, nor does she hold him by force, she simply lets him go ...

And by the devil, he starts to scheme, leaking the news to the press to further weaken her reign ... Manipilate or blackmail her into abandoning Arendelle's ties with his brother or even mar... '

 _No, that would be too much'_

Yet the moment he steps outside the palace, something starts humming in his veins, an eerie warning ... It isnot yet full moon so how could it be that the wolf is howling ..

This is unmistakenably the wolf, it wants out, it wants release and it is getting stronger every second.

"Drive" he instructs the coachman "to the mountains

He runs out of the carriage, peculiar behaviour confusing the driver " Never venture after me or let anybody do, you understand?"

The driver nods, full of terror, reflecting how terrifying Hans must be looking: bloodshot eyes and an instinct to kill written all over his face.

The driver doesn't look behind him once.

He wakes up to Mayhem two days later.


	6. Long December Nights

_**Long December nights**_

 _'From sleep, from oblivion I wake up for you_

 _Only you, only your eyes_

 _It has been long since I have felt human_

 _since all that misery befell me_

 _I live like a homeless dog nowadays_

 _But I used to be dignified , believe me'_

He wakes up to chaos, abandoned homes and the faint cries from faraway _'Monster'_ then suddenly he hears a song, a different song than the one he used to hear ... Melancholic, such searing melancholy it burns into his heart .. he has felt this before sometime, somewhere .. It isnot foreign he thinks and for a second both himself and the dormant wolf inside him are tempt to drift with the song to this haunted territory where he could glance at a shadow from afar ...

But his mind stumbles upon more urging matters

Clothes, How is he going to find a ride to the embassy?

And _'could it be the curse the queen has been talking about?'_

* * *

News of the attack on the outskirts of the capital reached fast, the gossip intensified .. wild animal, it seemed but the villagers would swear something was entirely off about this creature, it wasn't a simple animal, not a common species to Arendelle at least, this animal resembled a wolf yet it was huge, bigger than any wolf they had ever seen.

"This wasn't a common wolf , sir" a villager told sir Andersen who was immediately delegated on behalf of Princess Anna "It was just different, this area isnot common wolf ground and we haven't seen a similar wolf before"

The noble listened attentively, he seemed to mull over the various similar statements given by the villagers.

"For the time being, the state offers you shelter until the area is safe and your houses are fixed" he smiled kindly "the wounded are being tend to in the central hospital in the capital"

* * *

The queen was feverish all night, she could barely get out of bed .

Dreams, mumbles, hallucinations .. Fights.

 _'So, you will just give up on us, on me'_

 _'I have no choice .. it is dead-end'_

 _'I regret having trusted in you .. You are a coward'_

 _'Seraphina, I am sorry'_

There is magic, plenty of magic in her dreams and songs and poems

And rage .. Always rage, always blood.

 _'And if all wings of birds became my quills_

 _Still they won't be enough to inscribe my sorrow_

 _And how am I supposed to accept to part_

 _Now, I am lonely and those rainy clouds above are '_

* * *

He transforms two nights in a row.

The other day when he arrived to the embassy in oversized commoner garbs, the only ones he could snatch away from the deserted village, he was eyed with weird looks, where did he go, why did he terrorise the driver, everything wasn't in place and he had to put up a lie about how he snuck over to a brothel and got rotten drunk, losing a few things along the way, a story they half heartedly believed only due to their propensity to think of him as incapable, irresponsible and meek.

Tonight, he had to sneak away again, turning road after road, dingy alleyway after another to lose the watch dogs on his trail, then a brothel ... And he lets the drunkards and whores do the rest for him.

* * *

The news about the queen's failing health has been leaked out of the palace along with a string of articles critising the Reign's instability and the chaos it might ensue ... Headlines that made both Anna and the people reeling

"Whomever leaked those news outside the palace" Anna calmly demanded as she assembled the royal court & cabinet within "will face grave consequences"

Gerda stood behind her while Kristoff was on the side lines, she instructed "expect a reshuffle as soon as the Queen returns to office"

"Excuse me your highness, but why do you assume it was one of us who leaked the news, why not a menial worker like the ice-harvester? After all, he spends a great deal of his time loitering in the palace without any need to." a courtesian replied, a thinly masked defiance insinuated in his tone "From what I know, plenty of us didn't know the queen was ill until the press announced" the rest of court seemed to agree nodding and humming their approval "Why not sir Andersen as well?" they added and Anna had to rein the conversation again

"The chief Ice-harvester" She stressed " couldn't have leaked the news, he was out of the palace the last two days" Anna didn't find the comment about Sir Andersen worth the reply though, the man was nothing but helpful, consoling the distraut villagers on their behalf.

"You can be dismissed" She stiffly ordered

* * *

December nights are long, but beautiful.

He was born on one such night cold, rain and winds howling like the wolf inside him and he grew a fondness after he started to transform ... Those nights soothed the wolf and soothed him for there were barely any people out in the cold, so barely anyone witnessing his transformation or worse ... being hurt in the process.

Yet this night, everything was heightened, this night was different, the wolf stirs yet this time with a destination in mind, this night the wolf releases and follows on a scent, a plea that travels with the night's mighty wind .. This night, the wolf is fed up with loneliness, the frost, the winds and the clouds are as well, today a soft voice is whispering to him and his wolf, his curse _'No more loneliness'_ ... and he howls back over the wind _'No more'_

* * *

The queen is restless, it manifests when she fits, when the cold is more intense, when the winds are swirling as powerful and the rain and snow are hailing ...

Anna and Gerda follow the queen as she runs during her deliruim down towards the palace entrance ...

A wolf, a massive wolf, rabid and ravenous is faced by palace guards, terrified despite all the armistice they have,that they don't think about shooting the wolf and the queen doesn't make it any easier when she runs to the wolf and the wolf to her .

And when the guards, led by Sir Andersen, stand between them, the wolf gets madder, more ferocious and when they fire at him, arrows and gun powder, he dodges but never backs down. He runs his way through them in disarray, scratching at them with his paws, baring his teeth at them.

The wolf has run ahead from the troops, far ahead and the rest is a blur in Anna's eyes as she is trying to hold Elsa back, Kristoff is holding a torch, waving at the wolf that is still trying to avoid him, go past him yet Kristoff scorches the wolf on one of his limbs .. It slows him down but doesn't deter him enough from reaching Anna and Elsa.

Anna is frozen, frozen with fear and Elsa doesn't budge. Her blue eyes looks straight into the wolf's greens and Anna swears they soften a little.

The wolf ... It limps towards the queen and nuzzles in her as she strokes its fur. The queen, it seems has found her rest and was starting to dose off. The night was ending and the beginings of a twilight was on the horizon.

Anna watches astoundedly as the wolf's bones start to crack.

The wolf, it is morphing into something .. It is human and it looks an awful lot like ...

 _'Oh god, oh god, oh god'_

Sir Andersen and the troops start to advance

"Don't move" Anna orders

The troops started looking at each other in confusion

"Princess Anna .."

"Sir Andersen, please."

"Do as the Princess orders"

"Kristoff" she whispers "We need to get this out of here, before they realise who this guy is"

"Anna, how .."

"Gerda cover him up from head to toe before the light gets stronger and they realise who he is, then take Elsa to her room. Kristoff carry him to Kai's room "

Both set out to as told as promptly as possible.

* * *

Anna was shivering by now, the aftermath of both the cold and fright yet she had to walk up to the troops and Sir Andersen

"Your highness" he said as he dismounted " What was that?" he took of his cloak and offered it to her

"Thank you, sir and all of you, I trust no one was gravely injured" Anna smiled before one of the soldiers replied "scratches, nothing more, your highness"

"Thank goodness then, captain" she kindly replied before turning to sir Andersen and sternly proceeding "the answer to your question is: that was nothing, it is a poor animal that Kristoff killed and he will give him a proper burial"

"But .."

"No buts sir, gentlemen. Let's not exaggerate a perfectly normal incidence"

Everybody was looking at each other in bewilderment _'What was she just saying?'_ they wondered

"Now the sun will soon rise and you should retire to your bunkers ... And expect a special grant this month for your extensive , most revered efforts this night"

 _'Make sure for their silence too'_ Anna intently stared at Andersen

"And of course as the princess said, it is a normal incidence, unworthy of mentioning at all" he added

"Good ni.. I mean good morning all of you" Anna said before running after Gerda and Kristoff to the palace

* * *

Kristoff released a breath he didn't know was holding as he dumped the naked prince on Kai's bed

"Kristoff" he could hear Anna as she rushed down the hall

"Anna please, this is no place for you now, the man isn't decent enough"

"Oh" Anna halted at the door, turning over so her back was facing Kristoff as he frantically searched for a blanket to cover him up

"There, covered enough until poor old Kai find some proper clothes for him, Did you check in with Gerda about Elsa's condition?"

Anna now moved to face him and the dejected prince

"She is soundly sleeping"

Anna could hear Hans wincing.

"And him?"

"He isnot conscious yet but damn he is in a lot of pain"

"He deserves it" She icily said "but Kristoff ... I want to thank you for being here tonight"

"I .. Don't know what you are thanking me for, I ... It was all you, Anna. You managed this so well"

" I wouldn't be secure without you"

* * *

The song .. It echoes inside his mind; softer, sadder and more distinct

 _'From sleep, from oblivion I wake up for you_

 _Only you, only your eyes'_

* * *

 **The lines at the beginning are excerpts from a Turkish poem by Cemal Sureya (the translation is quite liberal though)**

 **Other poetry are translations as well from both Persian and Turkish songs.**


	7. A Midnight talk

_**A Midnight talk**_

The next day Elsa woke up from her dazed trance, feeling fine, in perfect health in fact as though the last three days when she was delirious and bed ridden were nothing more than dream, a pipe dream that involved songs, incantations , soldiers and a certain green eyed wolf.

The icy cerulean hue that matted her skin has actually retracted quite a little, and she felt much more lively, much more relieved, strange she thought yet no stranger than whatever Anna or rather Kristoff recounted.

Whereas Anna on her part tried to Omit Hans from virtually most of the story, Kristoff's account was much more accurate and essentially more worrisome than Anna's or Gerda's .

"You seemed completely at ease with the wolf and he with you, like you have known each other for years, centuries even"

'He?"

"Kristoff" Anna whispered under her breath as she nudged him.

In his defense, he instantly took his cue & paused as though realising he must have said something extremely wrong.

"He?" Elsa repeated once more

"Look, Elsa, you just woke up and you should just take time to recuperate, relax & return to the Kingdom"

"Anna, what it is that none of you is telling me? As your sister and your Queen, I demand to know"

Anna was hesitant, thinking and rethinking her options, weighing her reply.

"It was Hans, your highness"

Kristoff now spoke, lifting the load off Anna and putting it right on her, not that she was ignorant of the possibility

But still ...

She recovered, tried to appear unaffected, calm even.

"Was anybody hurt?"

"Nothing serious" Anna gloomily replied, eyes cast to the ground

" How many people know of this incident?"

"The palace guards & Sir Andersen, but nobody knows it is Hans, I managed to take him quickly off scene"

"Take him off?"

"He was hurt, your majesty. I burnt his arm" Kristoff answered

"In addition, I think your majesty this foray he has been through took its toll on his body" Kai finally spoke "He is in my quarters, I am personally tending to his wounds"

* * *

 _'I know all the roads leading to you are closed_

 _And above all, you have never loved me_

 _How close we are, yet an abyss lies between us_

 _Lores, people, cities stand like walls between us'_

He wakes up from a hazy dream to a call, a shiver and a chill that shakes his bone, a searing pain he can't properly localise.

His entire body aches and his eyes are drooping, he is tempted to plunge back to slumber but from the corner of his eyes, he sees an old man, a butler of sorts who has become alarmed that he is actually concious

"Prince Hans"

Hans was terrified, how did he know him? Was his secret discovered? What are the ramifications of such? But his mind sleepy as it was, worn out as it is couldn't muster all of this, couldn't formulate the proper questions, nor responses or plans instead a hoarse sound escapes his throat demanding Where he was?

"The grand Palace in Arendelle"

Hans is pulled back to sleep again.

* * *

 _'He isn't pristine_ ' Elsa thinks as she stares at him.

It has been two days since their rough night and he is still delirious, slipping in and out of conciousness.

It is Midnight and she doesn't know why she is here since she is still recuperating herself, it is just improper, awkward at best yet she just ...

It was like she was being pulled there, lured by some kind of invisible force towards him and it irritated her.

She looks at him again and finds it hard to imagine him as the kniving killer he was, as the beast he is, he looks vulnerable, almost angelic in the pale light, regal even as dishevelled as he is, maybe he wasn't pristine but he certainly looks the part.

 _'How appearances can be deceiving_ '

Maybe it is hard for her because she never properly saw it, her only ever interactions with Hans were during the coronation and at her frozen fortress as he tried to placate her during her scared outburst.

Admittedly, it was Anna who absorbed almost most of the shock, the betrayal rather than her.

Anna came face to face with the monster whereas she only saw glimpses and maybe that was the reason that impaired her judgement .. made her feel less detestful of him.

Kai took it upon himself to clean him and bandage his wounds .. the rims of the burn on his arm, glares an eyecatching red against his white skin.

He has scars scattered all over his Torso and she wonders if he sustained them during his metamorphosis.

He slightly shifts his weight against the bed, moaning lightly as his burn scraps against the bandage and she is startled when he suddenly speaks

"It is rude to stare, your majesty"

He doesn't even open his eyes to know who is there, already he was starting to get a grip on the situation though unaware of much details.

Hans knows he is in the palace of Arendelle, he knows he reached there during his transformation and he knows it is queen Elsa standing right beside him at the moment

"I am so... how did you know it was me?"

"The temperature dropped several degrees your highness, I assume you haven't properly mastered your ... skills yet"

"They are perfectly honed skills"

"As honed as mine would be" he smiles sardonically as he wrily replies, tongue dripping off sarcasm .. spitting the truth to her face that they are both walking on a tight leash, always prone to losing control.

He opens his eyes and rotates his neck towards her, he looks her in the eyes. The green of his eyes is darker than she remembers, It is darker that his wolfish counterpart, maybe the wolf is kinder than the actual human being ... Really it is all hazy in her mind after all.

"I assume that everybody is now conscious of my ... furry problem"

"Only a handful and they know how to keep a secret"

It didn't reassure Hans, not a single bit for he knew that a secret is no longer a secret when it is known by more than one, two at most ... in fact, the best way to keep a secret is to hide even from your very own self. It is only a matter of time before he is discovered but he will stretch it as long as possible.

"I think I should leave you to your rest now, I apologize for my intrusive presence"

'Wait' there is a part of him that wants to say so, a part that wants to hold onto her hand and ask her to keep him company, this part he doesn't fully comprehend but for better reason reigns it in like all other things he masks well behind his various facades.

Yet, It doesn't come bidden, still something slips him against his will when he finds himself saying

"Thank you ... for having me here"

 _'And for keeping my secret_ '

It catches her off guard, never had he been kind after his exposure. He was always acerbic, sarcastic and faux polite in his interactions with them.

"Your Welcome, Goodnight Prince Hans"

"Goodnight, Queen Elsa"

Left on his own accord, Hans was given a chance to contemplate whatever that has been going on.

It was fairly obvious that the wolf is gaining more control, it is becoming stronger and is willing to manifest itself even more ...

And that scared Hans, what if the wolf never retreats ... No he can't think of that.

and the wolf is probably connected with the curse Elsa had told him about in some sort.

Not to mention the strange dreams he has been having as of late.

Yet, he had even more pressing matters at hand, what alibi will he justify his disappearance by and how he will respond to his brother who must have been messaged the news long ago.

The Queen meanwhile had her own share of burdens to think about, how to restore her subjects' faith in her fledging reign and more importantly: Hans, How will it end up with the both of them? The trolls will fix them ... Maybe, if he agrees to come with her.

* * *

 **Another Part of the same poem used here again.**


	8. Silver Ire

_**Silver Ire**_

He planted a seedling long ago.

It was ceremonious that every royal prince at the coming of age would plant one. He chose an apple seedling, not that he remembered why, maybe because Sitron loves apples ... the only thing he remembers is that it was stomped by one of his brother's horses and he felt despondent afterwards.

His father would later urge him to plant another one but this time, Hans declines, he has other things on his mind.

His father explains that this ceremony is meant to imply that he is part of the Southern Isles, that his roots are there, he would always, ever stand and serve them and that no matter what, it is Home.

His home.

He told him that when he was born, he had a tree planted in Honour of his birth just like every one of his brothers and that his tree was a magnificent one.

And so. Hans decides, he would rather plant a sapling, hidden away from where his brothers might destroy it and finally he does .. a decision he would always count perceptive on his part as most of his brothers' were destroyed by a fire and none of them was able to cultivate one after the tragedy striked.

His tree is in adult stage now, blossoming and fruitful, but he is still scared. His tree, now that he calls it his, is right in a middle of a storm, thunderous, brutal one and that might destroy it anytime soon.

* * *

The news from Arendelle is unsettling. The prat, it seems is plotting something, something big or Maybe it is his wretched curse!

He doesn't know exactly and he isn't risking his chance to know.

He must return to the Southern Isles, as soon as possible, or maybe it is High time he shouldn't return at all, the king thought.

* * *

It is Anna who comes directly at him this time.

"Whatever the hell you're doing, Hans?"

He is better now, he can get up and move around the room. His arm is less sore than it used to be.

"I have no idea what you are talking about" He is stoic and calm, something that seems to rile her up even more.

"Seriously?! She gets sick and then you show up with your freakish magic and she gets even sicker and you still don't know what is going on?"

He doesn't reply

"It isn't the same anymore, Hans. You can no longer Waltz in and take whatever you want. We all know who you truly are, A monster. Everybody is on the watch for you"

Hans approaches her in heavy steps until he is close, too close for her liking, towering over her, teeth barring into a frightful grin that takes her back a little, before replying

"I, the monster, am nothing compared to the line of beasts you are descended from included your late father"

Anna was appalled, thunderstruck.

"Never speak ill of the former King in this palace" Elsa's haughty voice comes from the far end of the room.

She treads the distance to her sister's side in a split second

"Here comes the Blue Queen to the red princess' rescue"

"If I ever hear you speaking ill of anybody here, anyone of my ancestors or my father or of the court in general ... I will have you executed on the spot"

"I stand by every word I said. Go on your Majesty, have me guillotined"

And before she could slap him, he catches her by the forearm, firmly. His grip on her is so strong, she thinks it might bruise later and his eyes are of a madman's, red like a bloody moon.

"The late king, my dear queen was responsible for hatching every political scheme in the region that caused chaos .. instabilities .. rifts and wars that can last centuries. The late king was nothing more than a spineless coward wh..."

And suddenly he takes his hand of her as if they were burnt, it was frostbite. She was so angry her body was technically searing cold and the marking in his hands place were violet, the same bluish violet hue that appeared on her neck before. Her eyes were blank and the room was freezing cold

His eyes, they shift and his fangs, they get longer for a split second ... he could feel himself losing it.

Anna now stood between them, terrified, What on Earth had she catalysed?

"Elsa ... Elsa, let's get out of here, now" She frantically said

Both of them stood rooted, opposite each other, staring like enemy warriors on a battle field.

"Elsa ...Elsa" she tries to shake her out of her daze despite how cold she was "Elsa, please"

It took Elsa a few minutes to snap out of it, whilst Hans fled the room outside, as he tried to shake the wolf off.

* * *

She curses herself mainly for allowing herself to harbour any ounce of empathy for the ingrateful, impertinent son of the Southern Isles.

How naive she was, just how naive.

Every single time she remembers the conversation, she vows to end him, the heaviest , most sincere of vows.

Yet, the malice by which he spoke his words, the embitterment, it makes her wonder

 _'Why? and could it be ...?'_

Now, she realises his strongest forte, Hans could very well mess up your head.

There is a patch on her skin, a hard niveous patch that didn't resolve, it is cold, it is solid

 _'And it will fade in time'_

* * *

Because people like him are never believed, he had long resorted to manipulation. Hans can manipulate people, he can act the part and lie through his teeth, he can put up facades and mask himself well ... very well, yet every single word he said inside, was truth. Ugly and pent up.

Elsa isn't less prejudiced nor is she better than her ancestors and for once his perception, his gut feeling betrayed him.

She isn't as kind as he thought she was.

The fangs, he feels were starting to retract yet something didn't sit right, his canines were slightly sharper and his hair was getting longer and thicker for his own liking.

And he craved meat.

* * *

He bumps into the blonde ice-harvester in the palace garden. he eyes him with a curious look, muddled with fear and ... pity.

He replies only with a mocking grin, one that showed perfectly gleaming pointed teeth that irritated Kristof even more.

'This boy isn't much of work' he thought 'Perfect for little Anna'

Kristoff still approaches him tentitavely, eyeing his burnt shoulder

"Sorry about that"

Hans was surprised.

"Well, I am not …. holding it against you"

"But I am keeping an eye on you, Don't try anything"

 _'Now, he is Bull-talking'_

"You are very much a commoner, it sucks. You know that? With such attitude, you wouldn't last a day in court if you ever marry Anna" Hans smirked

"I ... None of your business" Kristoff looked sheepish.

"I struck a nerve obviously. After all, we are all kniving political pompous fools,aren't we?"

"Very much" he solemnly replied

"Well, don't worry. They will drive you out and you will be thankful for it in the end, trust me"

Kristoff narrowed his eyes at him

"What?"

"That was supposed to be comforting, you know"

"That is highly doubtful"

"Anyways, it was pleasure meeting you ..."

"Bjorgman ... Kristoff Bjorgman"

"It was pleasure. Goodnight"

* * *

Admittedly, The man was a good distraction. He was naive, loyal and pretty much nice, the vanilla type girls like Anna would like.

He pitied him really, for what lies in store.

Hans may not be an only child, but in fact he was the single from his mother, the last queen, a foreigner with no connections to the royal elite of the southern Isles or the region in general.

He remembers how the court used to fondle with the memory of the 'outsider' woman, up until he personally took to it himself, scandalising a high standard Woman of court 'with evidence' he must add, knocking over a 'respectable Lord' senseless which wasn't a pretty sight ... a mixture of vile and violence until they refrained from mentioning her altogether, at least in front of the 'Crazy brutish half breed mongrel'

 _'What if they knew'_

But today, the conversation between him and the queen signalled one thing. It was time to leave: this palace, this country. There is nothing left for him here.

 _'but your curse'_ he could feel a howl threatening to crack through his throat

 _'What is the point? it gets the best of me, every time eventually'_

 _'What about her?'_ the wolf was feeling nostalogic .. pretty much and it was a bother

 _'Her problem, not mine'_

* * *

 _'Those outbursts of mine that bother you_

 _Forgive me, for I shan't repeat them_

 _I am leaving this town, for better, for worse_

 _for maybe this absence perhaps is what was meant to be all along'_


	9. Détente

_**Détente**_

She falls ill again.  
There is a sickly hue of blue that covers her skin and she doesn't wake up. Had it not for her breathing, she would have been mistaken for a corpse.

Gerda stays by her side as Anna paces the room, this relapse .. it wasn't called for. Everything is a mess and it is left in her own hands, it is up to her to sort things out.

"You must see the trolls again" Kristoff sighed

"Yes, we have to arrange for her to go"  
"Not just her"  
Anna's eyes widened, catching onto his thoughts "You aren't implying we take him to them as well'  
"I don't know, but something tells me we have to"

* * *

There was nothing for him to pack, he only had to wait for the night and he would ask the old man, Kai to show him his way out.  
However, Anna's visit to his quarters along with her companion was unanticipated and totally uncalled for.

"She has fallen ill again, after your last encounter" Anna stressed onto the last part  
"Well, I wish her a speedy recovery then" he casually replied

"Prince Hans" Kristoff started "We think your Magic or curse or whatever you call it is connected to Elsa's somehow and we need you both to see someone who might be able to help the both of you disconnect whatever it is that binds both your magic for good"  
"I already told the queen I am not seeing anybody"  
"This isn't an optional thing" Anna resolved

"So You will take me by force?!" He mockingly raised his eyebrow  
"If necessary"  
"I admire your mettle. but do you know what kind of diplomatic fallout that might cau..?"  
"Diplomacy be damned, Hans" she proceeded "it is her life at stake"  
"And I am not participating in the Hocus Pocus, Voodoo scams for your sake"  
"I told you, it isn't your choice to make .. you are under house arrest"

Anna stomped her way out of the room, Kristoff in tow

* * *

 _'If there is one thing the wolf hates as much as fire, it is captivity.'_ Hans mused

The old man keeps an eye on him, afterwards, all th time. Literally all of it. and it is annoying to say the least.  
The old man is craftier than he looks.  
Outwards, nothing changes. he is as polite and as pleasant as on the first day but Hans could sense something when the oldman denied him his request to go for his mightly walk in the gardens "It is freezing cold your grace, I suggest against it. How about a warm bath to help you clear your mind and relax your muscles instead?" he smiled

"Of course" Hans smiled equally as pleasant

He was prisoner in Kai's room, in fact he always felt he was, hidden as he had been after the transformation incidence, so if he felt unsettled and irritated it was natural, wasn't it?  
If he felt like pacing, fidgeting back and forth .. it wasn't awkward.  
If the wolf was uneasy ... it is probably because he is locked in.  
It isn't because God-forbid He feels like wanting to se...  
He incessantly shakes his head .. no he isn't even thinking about it.

The oldman eyes him warily, exasperation, worry filling his eyes, although he sees a hint of fear and .. fondness?  
A light trick .. definately.  
"You stir too much your highness. is everything alright?"  
"If you are worried about me transforming, be at ease."  
"I didn't mean that"

A knock on the door and the heartly voice of Kristoff "Kai sir, may I come in?"

"Kristoff dear, get in here"  
He twisted the knob open and briskly walked in "You are awake too, good. Kai, Can I take the prince out on a walk?"  
Kai gazed pointedly at Kristoff 'Don't you know what Anna's orders were?' That he could read in his eyes Kristoff persisted, putting on his best puppy eyes and _'Trust me'_ look he could muster.  
"I will go with him" he decisively said with all the dignity, strength and arrogance he possessed as prince _'You are a kind man, Kai, but it isn't your call anymore'_

* * *

Once out of Kai's room, Kristoff sneaked him out to the garden

"I trust you have a reason for your adamant refusal to see our friend who might be of help" Kristoff started . Hans had to admit, deep down he was starting to admire Kristoff, he wasn't ... dumb.  
He was straight forward as well.  
"I have a reason. I don't want to, simple as that"  
Kristoff smiled "You said it was Hocus pocus , Voodoo scams to Anna. how do you know that? because I can assur..."  
"Cut the crap, Anna sent you .."  
"She didn't" he sharply replied "I came here on my own"  
"Look" he proceeded "I can guarantee this isn't Fake, this is for real, you can take my word for it. Just promise you will think about it"  
"Will definately do" Sarcasm was dripping off his tongue . Kristoff only sighed "Anyway, let's take you back to Kai before anyone sees you"  
"Kristoff"  
"Eh.."  
"Nothing" something was lingering on the tip of his tongue, threatening to fall off. Hans had to ignore it.  
Kristoff side glanced him, thinking what he could have possibly wanted to ask about.  
Something came on mind, a theory that he decided to test. Kristoff strode ahead, a few feet.

"Hurry up. I still have to go back to visit the queen"  
"You can visit her at this hour?!"  
"Of course. Those are the best hours. Only Anna and Gerda are around now"

Hans caught up to his pace ..

"Do you want to come with me?" Kristoff offered "Mind it carefully, I only ever accept first answers"  
Hans remained silent, weighing his options

"Don't muse forever"  
"I will come with you"

* * *

Sneaking him beyond Kai's Headquarters was a nuisance, harder than he thought with Kristoff pushing and tucking him in the shadows whenever he hears a hiss or rather imagine hearing it.  
Yet, it was nothing compared to hurricane Anna which started brewing in the room once she saw them.

"What the hell is this Kristoff?" She was clenching hard on her teeth, her face a matching red to their hair

"Anna, outside please" Kristoff whispered as not to disturb the ill Queen.  
The old lady, Gertrude or Gerda, he couldn't remember nodded her approval as she gently nudged her towards the door.

Barely outside the door, he could hear from behind it Anna's voice as she reprimanded her ... Boyfri..? maybe.  
He tried to ignore them, drown down their hissing as he approached the queen.  
"The poor girl" Gerda sighed "So unfortunate, locked her entire life in a room and now in bed"

He looms over her bed, her mouth is shut in a closed line, ocassionally whimpering. She looks small, blue and vulnerable that The anger building up inside of him since the fight suddenly dissipates.  
He feels compassionate, maybe. In fact whatever he feels for the young queen is a conundrum.  
There is a Place in his heart for her, a grey place where He doesn't exactly hate her, as much he wants to will himself at least.

There are patches of white and blue on her hands, and his fingers are tempted to brush against them, merely brush. but he stops abruptly as he reaches towards her hands.

 _'This nightly excursion has to end now'_  
He turns towards the door yet he stops in his tracks when he hears a thin voice, with wobbly indistinct articulation, mumbling at best.

"Don't leave"

He turns to face the queen, who seems to be having a fit, clinging hard to her blankets.  
 _'It is fever talking'_ he realises but the wolf .. It wants to stay, it wants to perch beside her bed and stay.

He wills it to concede.

He nods a farewell to the old woman and marches steadly towards the door.  
Once it is opened, he finds the arguing couple stop whatever talk they were having and stare widely at him

He walks a few steps into the hall, away from them.  
"I will see this friend of yours"  
Both Anna and Kristoff were now stunned.  
"I will see him provided he comes here to the castle. It will be curt and swift" he casually turns at them "Bring him as soon as possible before I change my mind"  
He then continued his flight towards Kai's room, followed by a now sprinting Kristoff who breifly turned around and smiled victoriously at Anna.

That night, the prince fits in his sleep.


End file.
